(Photo: Mattia Gaido) Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” (1817) is quite different from the familiar children’s tale most of us grew up with. Librettist Jacopo Ferretti (1784-1852) opted for a more realistic Italian view of the fairy tale. His Cinderella is bereft of fairy godmother, magic carriage or glass slippers. Some attribute this rational approach to the Enlightenment, while others believe it {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week, audiences will be able to see two new DVDs, one from the Donizetti Opera Festival and the other from the Dutch National Opera. There are also world premiere recordings and rare works on offer. Gaetano Donizetti: Don Pasquale Dynamic releases a {…}
Les Talens Lyriques releases its 2025-26 season. Lully’s “Proserpine” opens the 2025 season. Marie Lys, Véronique Gens, Olivier Gourdy, Jean-Sébastien Bou, Ambroisine Bré, Laurent Kilsby, Apolline Raï-Westphal, Nick Pritchard, Olivier Cesarini, and David Witczak make up the cast. They are joined by Chœur de Chambre de Namur led by Thibaut Lenaerts, and Les Talens Lyriques under the direction of Christophe {…}
Every production at the Donizetti Opera Festival has its specialty and purpose. One (this year, “Roberto Devereux”) is a serious production of the highest quality, another is a rare piece (this time “Zoraida di Granata,” which also took a stand to bring the most serious and painful topics to the stage), and another is fun and delightful. So, when you {…}
The Donizetti Opera Festival has announced that it will stream all three productions from the 2024 season. The streams will be on the company’s Donizetti OperaTube. The first stream of the season will be “Don Pasquale“ conducted by Iván López-Reynoso and directed by Amélie Niermeyer. The cast includes Roberto de Candia, Giulia Mazzola, Javier Camarena, and Dario Sogos. Streaming Date: Nov. 22, {…}
(Photo: Gianfranco Rota) As part of the Donizetti Opera Festival (DOF), the stage came to life with “Don Pasquale,” the renowned opera buffa by Gaetano Donizetti, one of the last and most refined jewels of Italian bel canto. This production in Bergamo not only pays homage to the composer in his hometown but also celebrates the tenth anniversary of its {…}
The Teatro Regio di Parma has announced its 2025 season. Verdi’s “Giovanna d’Arco” opens the season with Luciano Ganci, Nino Machaidze, and George Petean. Michele Gamba conducts the production by Emma Dante. Performance Dates: Jan. 24-Feb. 1, 2025 Pier Luigi Pizzi’s production of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” returns with Davide Luciano, Maria Kataeva, Ruzil Gatin, Roberto de Candia, and {…}
The Teatro Regio di Parma is set to stream Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” on March 22, 2024. The opera will stream on the operatsreaming.com platform and will be available with subtitles in Italian and English. There will also be extra content that will bring audiences behind the scenes. The stream will be available for a few months on the platform. The {…}
The Teatro alla Scala TV is set to livestream Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra on Feb. 14, 2024. The performance will star Luca Salsi in the title role alongside Ain Anger, Roberto De Candia, Andrea Pellegrini, Eleonora Buratto, and Charles Castronovo. Lorenzo Viotti will conduct the new production by Daniele Abbado. “Simon Boccanegra” was presented in its final form at La Scala {…}
The Teatro Regio di Parma announces its 2024 season. Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglia” will star Maxim Mironov, Marco Filippo Romano, Maria Kateava, Andrzej Filończyk, and Roberto Tagliavini. Diego Ceretta conducts. Performance Dates: Jan. 12-20, 2024 Nina Minasyan, John Osborn, Lodovico Filippo Ravizza, and Roberto de Candia star in Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore.“ Sesto Quatrini conducts Daniele Menghini’s production. Performance Dates: {…}
The Donizetti Opera has announced its 2024 season marking its 10th edition. The festival, which will be held between Nov. 15 and Dec. 1 will inaugurate with “Roberto Devereux.” The tragic opera will be performed in a critical edition by Julia Lockhart for Casa Ricordi realized as part of the National Edition with the collaboration and contribution of the Municipality {…}